DRAFT 7 September 2018 CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENT OF APPENDICES I AND II A. Proposal The Proponents propose the transfer of the small clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) from CITES Appendix II to CITES Appendix I, in accordance with Article II, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The species qualifies for listing on CITES Appendix I because it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction, and is detrimentally affected by international trade as well as habitat loss and degradation. The species qualifies for listing on CITES Appendix I because it meets the biological criteria found in Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16), Annex 1 of that Resolution, specifically: Paragraph C: a marked decline in the population size in the wild, which has been: ii) inferred on the basis of: - a decrease in area of habitat - a decrease in quality of habitat - a high vulnerability to extrinsic factors (high levels of poaching) B. Proponents XXXX C. Supporting statement 1. Taxonomy 1.1 Class: Mammalia 1.2 Order: Carnivora 1.3 Family: Mustelidae (Fischer de Waldheim 1817) Sub-family: Lutrinae (Bonaparte 1838) 1.4 Genus, species or subspecies, including author and year: Aonyx cinereus (Illiger 1815) 1.5 Scientific synonyms: Amblonyx cinereus (Illiger 1815) Aonyx cinerea (Illiger 1815) [orth. error] Lutra cinerea (Illiger 1815) 1.6 Common names (in French, Spanish and English) English French Spanish Asian Small-clawed Otter; Loutre cendrée Nutria Cenicienta; Nutria Inerme Oriental Small-clawed Otter; Asiatica Small-clawed Otter; Short- clawed Otter 1.7 Code numbers (From CITES ID Manual) 1 DRAFT 7 September 2018 N/A 2. Overview: Aonyx cinereus is the smallest otter. Although widespread in Southeast Asia, it is now declining rapidly due the wetland habitat loss, poaching for local and international markets, and, more recently, as pets sold via the internet. According to IUCN, it can be inferred that the global population of A. cinereus has declined by greater than 30% over the past 30 years (three generations based on Pacifici et al. 2013). Additionally, evidence exists of significant loss of populations as well as extirpations in range States (1) A. cinereus are believed to be extirpated or extremely rare throughout much of their range in southern China due to large scale commercial hunting of all otter species prior to the 1980s (Li & Chan 2017); (2) recent surveys in India/Nepal suggest that A. cinereus have disappeared from the western Himalayan foothills (Hussain 2002; Hussain et al. 2011) and perhaps the Indian part of the Sundarbans (Manjreker & Prabu 2014); (3) in Myanmar, A. cinereus were historically considered to occur throughout the country (Pocock 1933 as cited in Zaw et al. 2008) but are now considered to be extremely rare (Zaw et al. 2008). A. cinereus is listed as vulnerable by IUCN. 3. Species characteristics: 3.1 Distribution: Aonyx cinereus has a broad distribution range, extending from India in South Asia eastwards through Southeast Asia, including Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Indonesia to Palawan, Philippines, and southern China (Mason & Macdonald 1986; Wozencraft 1993; Hussain 2000; Hussain et al. 2011). In India it occurs in West Bengal, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh as well as in southern Indian hill ranges of Coorg (Karnataka), Ashambu, Nilgiri and Palini Hills (Tamil Nadu) and Kerala (Pocock 1941; Prater 1971; Hussain 2000; Hussain et al. 2011) and in Odisha in eastern India (Mohapatra et al. 2014). It also inhabits the lowland rivers and wetlands in the foothills of the Himalayas in BhutanandNepal. The species is native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal; Philippines (Palawan), Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, and has been introduced to the United Kingdom. 3.2 Habitat: All otter species are semi-aquatic carnivores that require aquatic habitats for foraging and sheltered terrestrial areas for resting and denning. Aonyx cinereus occurs in a range of aquatic habitats from coastal wetlands to mountain streams, including human modified habitats such as rice fields and coffee/tea plantations, wherever there is prey and adequate shelter. Wright et al. (2015) suggest that they prefer slow- flowing and shallow water. Typical habitats in west Java, for example, are shallow stretches of water (< 1 m deep) with pools and stagnant water (Wright et al. 2015). In Bangladesh, they occur in the mangrove forests of the Bangladesh Sundarbans in the southwest of the country (Aziz 2018). Other suitable aquatic habitats include freshwater swamps, rivers (slow-flowing broad lowland streams as well as fast-flowing narrow rocky mountain creeks) and tidal pools. For example, in the northern Western Ghats, India, A. cinereus appears to prefer narrow, fast flowing and rocky streams with tall and dense shoreline herb cover (in this area, these types of streams are found only at higher elevations; Raha & Hussain 2016). A. cinereus uses irrigated rice fields and the irrigation channels within them in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia (Aadrean & Usio 2017). They use streams running through coffee and tea 2 DRAFT 7 September 2018 plantations adjoining protected areas in the Western Ghats, India (Prakesh et al. 2012). In Java, Indonesia, A. cinereus uses the local drainage system and appear to feed on crabs (Meijaard 2014). Of the four otter species in Asia, this species is most likely to be found foraging furthest from rivers. 3.3 Biological characteristics: Aonyx cinereus, as with the other Aonyx species, feeds mainly on crabs, snails, and other molluscs, insects, and small fish but supplements its diet with rodents, snakes, and amphibians. In Vietnam, in U Minh Ha National Park, observations by local people suggest that A. cinereus has changed its diet from crabs that are no longer present due to salt water incursions to fish and snakes and now consume the same diet as L. sumatrana (Wright et al. 2008). A. cinereus is diurnal (Ross et al. 2017) but nocturnal where it occurs near people in northern Malaysia (Hussain et al. 2011). They are social, living in large family groups based around a breeding pair (average group size in a study in Bangladesh = 4, range = 1-12 (Aziz 2018); groups of up to 16 observed in Java (Meijaard 2014); 3.4 Morphological characteristics: Aonyx cinereusis the smallest of all otter species. Their pelage is typically brown but sometimes cream coloured or with a reddish tinge; their undersides are paler brown, and the edge of upper lips, chin, throat, and sides of neck and face are grayish white. In South India, the pelage is darker than elsewhere. The rhinarium is bare (Krupa et al. 2017). Their claws are reduced to small rudiments (‘clawless’) that do not project beyond the tips of the digits, and therefore their tracks can be distinguished from those of other otters by the absence of claw marks (Hussain et al. 2011). Females are a little smaller, although sexual dimorphism is not pronounced (Krupa et al. 2017) 3.5 Role of species in ecosystem: All otters are top predators in the wetland ecosystem and serve as important indicators of healthy aquatic environments (Kruuk 2006). 4. Status and trends: 4.1. Habitat trends: Southeast Asia has the highest rate of forest loss in the tropics (e.g. Sodhi et al. 2004). Tropical peat swamp forests are being cleared for oil palm plantations, food crops (rice, corn and soya bean) and fish farming (Sasaki et al. 2009). In Indonesia, natural wetlands have been converted to palm oil plantations at an accelerated rate (Rode-Margono et al. 2014 as cited in Aadrean & Usio 2017). In Vietnam, about 80% of the Mekong Delta is used for rice production reducing native habitats to a few pockets (Wassman et al. 2004). To some extent, otters will use rice fields which may provide important habitat in human-modified landscapes, but the impacts of further modernization (e.g. use of agrochemicals and large machinery) on habitat suitability are unknown (Aadrean & Usio 2017). Improved production systems for rice (that involve the use of less water) may also have detrimental impacts on aquatic biodiversity, including otters (Aadrean & Usio 2017). In Thailand, rapid economic development and expansion of Bangkok has caused extensive destruction and fragmentation of mangrove forests along the coast: between 1961 and 2009 the coverage of mangrove forest had decreased by half (references in Kamjing et al. 2017). 4.2. Population size: Unknown. Aonyx cinereus is exhibited in zoos the most frequently of all the otters but there are no reliable estimates of population size in the wild (Wright et al. 2015). 3 DRAFT 7 September 2018 4.3. Population structure: Aonyx cinereus tend to be nocturnal or crepuscular near human settlements. They are highly social, foraging and traveling in groups up to 12 or more (Lekagul & McNeely 1988).A. cinereus in captivity breed year-round and mating usually takes place in the water, but also on land. They appear to be monogamous (Wilson & Mittermeier 2009), butlittle is know of their behavior or reproduction outside of captivity. In captivity, a pair will build a nest together and raise the litter, ranging from 2 to 7 cubs (Foster-Turley 1986). In the Sundarbans, Aziz (2018) estimated approximately 1 otter per 30 km river of river surveyedwhich, the author suggests,should be considered preliminary and an underestimate of the actual otter population in the area. 4.4. Population trends: Populations are inferred to be declining steeply. The species has undergone a dramatic decline in China with only 3 records from 2006 to the present (Li & Chan 2017). In India, its distribution range has decreased, for example, in the Sunderbans (Sanyal 1991) and in Cambodia, they are only found near Virachey National Park (Heng et al. 2016).